Letter from Linus Pauling to F.E. Simon. January 11, 1950. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 1 p.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Letter from Emil Ott, Chairman, Committee on Financing of ACS Publications, American Chemical Society, to Bryce L. Crawford, Jr., School of Chemistry, Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, cc. LP RE: States that he was glad to receive the information in his letter related to Chemical Abstracts. Agrees with the views which he expressed and states that copies of his letter will be distributed to members of his committee and Dr. E. J. Crane. [Letter from Crawford to Ott, January 3, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Chemical Abstracts), #70.2]
• Letter from Florence S. Chesse to LP RE: Informs that they are sending Mr. Schaefer the comments regarding the numbering of the sections in College Chemistry and that Mr. Freeman has acknowledged the suggestions of possible changes to the manuscript. [Letter from LP to Freeman January 4, 1950] [Filed under LP Books: 1950b.2]
• Letter from Florence S. Chesse, W. H. Freeman & Co., to LP RE: States that the corrections that LP sent in about Hardin’s biology text have been forwarded to the author and thanks LP for the criticisms of the text. [Letter from LP to Freeman January 3, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1950), #439.8]
• Letter from Florence S. Chesse, W. H. Freeman and Company, to LP RE: Thanks him for commenting on the Hardin biology text. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1950), #439.8]
• Letter from Frances V. Benner, Special Assistant, American Chemical Society, to LP RE: Encloses an itinerary for LP’s tour of the local sections of the American Chemical Society in the southwest and gulf coast region that include side trips for the Board of Directors meeting and for the ACS, APS, and NAS meetings in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington. Asks for his opinions of the itinerary and brief abstracts of the talks he is willing to give to pass onto the local sections. [Letter from LP to Benner January 17, 1950] [Filed under LP Science: (American Chemical Society: Correspondence, 1950-1964), Box #14.006, Folder #6.2]
• Letter from Harry Althouse, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, to LP RE: Informs him of Professor Stoll’s visit from Switzerland to Notre Dame. [Letter from Althouse to LP January 9, 1950 and Letter from LP to Althouse January 16, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (S: Correspondence, 1950), #378.4]
• Letter from J. C. Murray, Field Secretary, The Associated Alumni of the University of New Brunswick, RE: On behalf of Dr. A. W. Trueman, President of the University of New Brunswick, asks LP to send a biographical statement and a glossy photograph of himself. States that they will be used in press and radio news releases. Asks LP to send them at least two copies of each of his lectures. [Letter from LP to Murray January 17, 1950] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1950s.2]
• Letter from LP [Signed by Beatrice Wulf] to Dr. Walter L. Winkenwerder, Chairman of the Program Committee, American Academy of Allergy, RE: Confirms the telephone conversation that she had with his secretary that afternoon. Gives the times that LP is available to speak on March 6 and 7, 1950. Informs her that LP’s talk will be entitled, “Molecular Concepts of Serological Phenomena.” Asks for details about the program, in particular, the time of his talk. [Letter from Winkenwerder to LP December 15, 1949 and January 16, 1950] [Filed under LP Speeches: 1950s.8]
• Letter from LP to F. E. Simon, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford. [Letters from Simon to LP January 4, 1950 and January 20, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Simon, F. E.), #365.2]

  January 11, 1950

  Dr. F. E. Simon, F.R.S.

  The Clarendon Laboratory

  Barks Road

  Oxford, England

  Dear Franz:

  I am glad to see your new articles in the Financial Times, and also glad to have a reprint of your paper on glass. I had already read the article on glass, with much interest.

  As to the article in the Financial Times, there is not much that you say with which I would disagree. You already know that I have a very strong feeling about the importance for Britain of improving engineering and technical education. I agree with you that it would be very valuable to have an outstanding institute of technology in England, similar to ours. I myself have felt, however, that the important step forward would result from building up education in engineering at Oxford and Cambridge. It seems to me that one great difficulty in Britain is that engineers are looked down on, by, for example, the pure scientists at Oxford and Cambridge, and that if this attitude could be changed there would be a greater chance for attracting outstandingly able young men into the engineering and technical fields. I feel sure that good work in technology cannot be carried on if it is isolated from good work in the basic sciences.

  I am glad to see that you did not agree so completely as did Philbrick in his Endeavour article with the generally accepted idea that all fundamental progress in science is made in Europe, and none in the United States. I have recently been talking with an outstandingly able American physicist, from the east coast, who stated, after a trip he made recently to Europe, that there was no basic science going on in the world at the present time except in the United States. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between these extremes.

  One minor point - about comic-strip addicts: perhaps you know that I am one of these and I do not share your concern about the part played by comic-strip addicts in determining the future of the world. Some people, you know, express just as much concern about modern-art addicts.

  I am continuing to devote most of my time to applications of chemistry to medicine, but am also working on the theory of metals.

  Cordially yours,

  Linus Pauling:W

• Letter from LP to Florence S. Chesse RE: Asks her to send a copy of the structure of quartz to Mr. Hayward so he can make the changes suggested by Mr. Freeman. [Letter from Chesse to LP January 12, 1950] [Filed under LP Books: 1950b.2]
• Letter from LP to Florence S. Chesse RE: Requests that she handle a correction in the spelling of “converter” in the text General Chemistry. [Filed under LP Books: 1950b.2]
• Letter from LP to Francis O. Schmitt RE: Thanks Schmitt for his letter and says that he looks forward to receiving the electron micrograph. [Letter from Schmitt to LP January 5, 1950] [Filed under LP Books: 1950b.2]
• Letter from LP to Fyke Farmer RE: Thanks him for the invitation but regretfully tells him that he will be unable to attend the People’s World Convention Planning Conference in Ghent, Belgium due to his professional duties. [Letter from Farmer to LP January 7, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (F: Correspondence, 1950), #128.15]
• Letter from LP to John Morrison RE: Hopes to get word of progress on his work on proteins. Requests a preliminary draft. [Letter from John Morrison to LP January 14, 1950] [Filed under LP Science: Box #7.001 Folder 1.8]
• Letter from LP to M. S. Dunn, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, RE: Thanks Dunn for sending peptide samples. [Letter from LP to Dunn January 3, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (D: Correspondence, 1950), #98.15]
• Letter from LP to N. A. Parkinson, Assistant to the Editor, Chemical and Engineering News, RE: States that he is too busy to prepare a review on the book, Experimental Physical Chemistry. Suggests that she contact Professor Richard M. Badger from his laboratory. [Letter from Parkinson to LP January 6, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Chemical and Engineering News), #70.3]
• Letter from LP to V. A. Kalichevsky, Magnolia Petroleum Company, RE: Suggests that Kalichevsky carelessly misinterpreted his presidential speech and that people understood his comment about socialized medicine to be a personal statement, not the opinion of the ACS. Discusses his familiarity with socialized medicine in other countries. Encloses a reprint of his speech. [Letter from Kalichevsky to Emery January 6, 1950 and Letter from Kalichevsky to LP January 18, 1950] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (A: Correspondence, 1950), #12.16]
• Letter from Oskar Fischinger to LP RE: Thanks LP for sending him the kind letter and the Guggenheim Foundation announcement. States that he is interested in applying for a Fellowship there. [Filed under LP Correspondence: (F: Correspondence, 1950), #128.15]
• Report from Waugh to LP on molybdenum complexes. [Reply to LP November 29, 1949] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Climax Molybdenum Company, 1950), #71.3]